Landscape c. 1988

Curator: Elena Prentice's "Landscape," a watercolor piece at the Harvard Art Museums, strikes me as a study in contrasts. Editor: My first thought? Tranquil. Like a memory fading into sepia tones. The soft washes and simple composition give it a very meditative feel. Curator: Yes, that use of limited palette is interesting. The beige above, like a bleached sky, and the grounding gray below. It evokes a sense of place stripped down to its barest essence. Editor: The earth-toned color scheme is so muted, like a landscape painted with dust. It makes you wonder what the place actually looked like or is it more about how the artist felt? Curator: Perhaps the landscape is within, more than a mere depiction. Prentice employs forms to tap into our collective memory of what a landscape is, a horizon, and earth. Editor: I like that thought - the "landscape within." Maybe it's a landscape we all share, a universal horizon. Curator: Precisely! It speaks to the enduring power of simple forms to evoke profound emotional responses. Editor: Well, I'm now seeing it as more than just a simple watercolor; it's a landscape of the mind!